The Chinese Opera Gala (Kunshan) 2022 kicked off in Kunshan on Aug. 13. Artists from all over the country will give performances of 11 grand dramas and 21 renowned excerpts during the one-month festival.
On the evening of Aug.13, the original modern Kunqu work Qu Qiubai was staged at the grand theater of Kunshan Culture and Arts Center as the opening performance of the opera gala. Shi Xiaming, head of the Kunqu Opera House of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group, portrays Qu Qiubai in the opera. Shi is also a national first-class actor.
This year’s Chinese opera gala features a series of modern dramas and traditional plays of various opera types such as Kunqu Opera, Peking Opera, Han Opera, Yue Opera and Huangmei Opera, aiming to display the rich operatic heritage of the country and the innovative creativity of Chinese opera performers.